The Dezen Discovery
by Akamuna
Summary: Follow the adventures of Danny, an aspiring young pokemon trainer on the road to victory in the whole new region Dezen, or is it the road to disaster.
1. Chapter 1

The Dezen Discovery

By LoneGrowlithe

Chapter one

Blurs passed me by as I ran through the ever busy streets of Kerdan at a blinding pace. Humans, Pokemon, inanimate objects, I really didn't discern what I was passing, sometimes rudely shoving things in my path out of the way. Kerdan was a large city, the centre of it towering above all else with tall skyscrapers, it was mainly a place for those of business class, with law firms, and scientific research facilities located somewhere within the maze of streets that made up the rather enormous city.

Kerdan was also one of the biggest cities in Dezen, located on the lowermost edge of the large, generally mountainous region. Located to the far north of Kanto, the region, commonly frigid and cold all year round, with potentially deadly blizzards in winter, was home to many unique species of Pokemon, and a variety of diverse terrains. It was also where I made my home, with my dangerous and quite chaotic foster family.

Shoving my way between a trainer and his Machoke, I continued running down the busy street, with one of my foster brothers more than likely hot on my heels, judging by the cacophony of yells erupting from behind me as people got rudely shoved about by the burly teen.

Chancing a glance behind me as I wheeled into an empty alleyway, I caught a glance of David; he was an athletic fifteen year old, a year older than myself, with deep auburn hair gracing his head, with short bangs shading his striking green eyes. A look of unnatural concentration etched his features, but was marred by the usual anger he was known for. My earlier assumption was right, for he was indeed right on my heels.

So caught up I was in looking over my shoulder at my follower, I didn't notice until too late the obstacles in my path. A myriad of rubbish bins were stacked about each other, and not noticing them, I ran into them a full speed, sending myself sprawling, with the loud clattering of metal on metal, while a small group of shabby looking Rattata, and a single, rather large, but all the shabbier Raticate went scurrying desperately into their nearby hidey-hole in fright.

David, so close behind me, missed my pitfall, jumping clear over the rubbish bins that were now scattered across the alleyway, and continuing onwards to the end of the alleyway. Once there, he stopped and turned back to me, with a smirk on his face.

"Bad Luck rubbish dump," He laughed at me, before breaking once more into a run and leaving the alleyway, and my sight.

"I'll catch up," I yelled after him, regardless of whether he heard me or not, before I started the task of disentangling myself from the bins, more than a few dented by my fall, and also causing quite the racket as I did so.

Once I was up, I glared at the closest bin, and then dealt it a savage kick, before snatching up my dropped schoolbag and breaking into a run, making right for the way David had left, the Rattata and the Raticate, emerging from their hidey-hole, twittering angrily after me. Bursting out of the alleyway, I knocked more than a few people down, but didn't stop to apologize as I look fervently down both sides of the street, trying to spot my quarry.

I spotted him to my right, far down the street, but slowed by the people and Pokemon thickly packed on the concrete paths. While I had wasted precious time with the bins, the fact that David was slowed down thanks to the crowds eased my panic at falling behind and turning, I chased after him, determined to catch up to him.

Weaving around people, sometimes having to shove my way through them or push the roughly out of the way, I soon caught up to David, but as he was taller than I was, he kept a steady lead, and I could not pass him by, and so we continued as we were for the next couple of minutes. But I had some tricks up my sleeves for just this reason, and as we left the busiest part of the city the crowds began to thin slightly and the buildings became smaller, I beamed with happiness at knowing that one of my tricks was just around the corner.

I began to keep an eye ahead of David, instead of keeping them securely locked on his back as I had been doing for the past few minutes. Sure enough, I spotted exactly what I wanted to see. A long, thick, cream coloured object slung across the pavement, becoming thinner towards the end, with four odd, large green orbs stuck around its girth, just below the tip of the object.

Glancing at David, I sighed in relief as I realized that he had not yet noticed it. Putting on an extra bit of speed, I managed to get alongside him, and he turned to look at me with a scowl planted on his face. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the object getting closer with every step we took, when it was not that far away, I suddenly flashed David a toothy grin, and jumped the object, whereas he tripped over it, landing harshly on the pavement.

I stopped a moment to salute the Breloom standing in the open doorway of a coffee shop, while still with a toothy grin on my face, and he gave me a wave of his clawed hand, indicating me to go on, but he too had a smile upon his face. As I moved on, he ambled back into the shop, his swaying tail knocking David in the legs, causing the irate teen to stumble and fall once more, as I took the turn of events to my advantage, and weaving through the still considerably crowded streets, I continued on.

I ran on, turning into streets, or dashing through alleyways, all the time, buildings got smaller, and the crowed thinned out even more, until I finally entered what could be called the suburban areas of the prospering city. Making sure that there would be nothing in my path as I ran, I chanced a glance behind me, and spotted David, gaining on me with every step he took. Turning forwards once more, my heart beating with panic; I skidded into another street and ran on.

I watched the road ahead of me, and my eyes landed on a red-roofed house, and as I got closer, I was able to discern the boy standing in the front yard, by his side sat a well exercised Vaporeon. Jake, an old friend of mine, with short cropped honey colored hair and the kindest blue eyes you would ever see. He was the owner of the Breloom whom had been in the shop, which was owned in turn by Jakes father.

Jake had left six months earlier on his own journey as a Pokemon trainer and had returned to visit his family, his starter Pokemon had been a cowardly Spinarak obtained from one of the multiple breeding centers in town, given to him on his thirteenth birthday. Since then, he had prospered as a trainer, where many had failed, and although he didn't have many badges, his team was well rounded.

I came ever closer to his house, and when I passed him by, I made some exuberant gestures with my hands and arms, getting my point across to Jake that I was being followed. Jake nodded, and he laid his hand on Vaporeons head. Vaporeon, a bubbly creature, with a dangerous twinkle in her eye, began to laugh maniacally and uncontrollably. I cast the maniac water Pokemon a weird look, and swiftly concluded that it needed psychiatric help as I dashed past and down the street.

Moments later, loud yells erupted from behind me, and unable to resist, I skidded lightly to a stop, and looked behind me. What I saw immediately caused me to burst into a cacophony of laughter. David, soaking wet, had been blasted across the street and into a bush by Vaporeons Water Gun attack. He was shielding his face as best he could, while Vaporeon danced around him, firing Water Gun attacks at him at random intervals. Jake, ever the enthusiast, was cheering Vaporeon on, jumping around happily like a little kid on a sugar high.

I found it difficult to tear my eyes away from the scene, enjoying seeing the rough teen getting his just desserts, and still laughing, I began running again heading for my much closer destination. Soon enough, I was bounding up a familiar small set of stairs and onto the front porch of a very large three storey building, which was home to my foster parents Jacob and Jessica, and my fifteen odd foster siblings, of which David was one.

I knew I was a foster child, something that would have irked a lot of people, but I really didn't mind, Jacob and Jessica were very nice people, and I loved them like a real mother and father, and it was like just having one big happy family. Of course, the problem with a big family was that there was always going to be those who competed against each other, like David and I, and our race to beat the others, and each other, home.

But there had been a reason why David and I had been so eager to beat each other here. Today was the beginning day of a large, worldwide, yearly competition, and every year, around this time, Jacob acquired five of the competition entry forms.

The competition, known worldwide, was held roughly at the same time every year, and every year, thousands of bidding kids from all regions entered. The qualifications were simple, fill in the necessary fields, and then write an essay on the given topic. The prize: The chance to become a fully fledged Pokemon trainer, licensed by the league for free, a prize pack full of all journeying essentials, and a properly trained starting Pokemon.

It was this prize that so many kids yearned to win, and thus thousands entered, yet of all the thousands to enter, only twelve winners were to be chosen. For my family however, Jacob had only a few rules when he had acquired the competition forms, it was a first come, first serve basis. The first five to arrive home from school got the forms, any after that, bad luck. It didn't help that school was on the other side of town, and that another one of Jacobs rules barred all technological transport, we had to get home on our own steam if we wanted our form.

I knew that even if I was home in time, that my chances of winning the actual competition were slim, but it was still worth a try. Jacob and Jessica couldn't afford to buy us all trainer licenses so we could all become trainers, so it fell on the yearly competition to sort that problem out. I flung open the front door to the house, and jumped in, letting the doors own momentum shut it.

I made to dash for the kitchen, the door slamming closed behind me, only to be unceremoniously jerked backwards, as pain erupted through my scalp, and I clamored to the floor, yelping from the sudden pain. Looking at the door from my place on my back I realized what had happened. When the door had slammed closed, it had done so on the end of my trailing braid.

"Owwww," I moaned as I got to my feet, and staggered to the door, wrenching it open and withdrawing my trapped, bright cobalt blue braid, before slamming the door shut angrily and causing the house to shake, grumbling to myself "Stupid damn door."

Rubbing the back of my aching scalp, I stalked into the kitchen, and was met with the amused face of my foster father Jacob. The middle-aged man, whose commonly calm brown eyes twinkled with restrained laughter, he had short black hair, peppered with overwhelming amounts of grey as age crept up on him.

"I see you had another argument with the door," He mentioned as I took as seat at the kitchen table, the smile on his face seemed to grow a little wider.

"Ha, Ha," I laughed sarcastically, before grumbling under my breath, "Stupid door, slamming on my stupid hair."

"Well, hopefully you'll start learning how to open and close doors properly from now on," Jacob pointed out calmly, before his smile broke out into a full grin, "Unlike the last twenty-four times."

"Oh shut-up," I half yelled as Jacob sat down in his own seat at the kitchen table chuckling.

He chuckled even more, and I laid my forehead to rest on the table, covering my head with my arms, all the while groaning about being laughed at, while my scalp throbbed with a dull pain. I didn't look up until I heard a rustle of paper right in front of me. Curiosity getting the better of me, I looked up and noticed that Jacob had slid a piece of paper in front of me.

"You're the first to get home today, and I doubt you'll want to wait," Jacob spoke as I snatched up the paper.

Reading it over, I quickly deduced that it was the competition form, and let my eyes fall to the essay topic, and smiled. It was on Pokemon of the tropics, a subject I had found rather interesting when I had studied it at school. I dropped the form, and dove into my school bag which I had placed on the ground by my feet.

As I rummaged through the grey and blue backpack, I could hear Jacob muttering to himself, pondering on why I was the only one to arrive thus far. I snickered as I remembered my tricks, and remembered the sight of David being blasted by Vaporeons Water Gun.

My snickers must have been to loud however because when I sat up again, triumphantly holding a pen and a rarely used schoolbook that I was going to tear paper out of to write my essay in, Jacob was looking at me sternly.

"Must I assume that you have had something to do with this," He inquired roughly.

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," I hummed innocently, trying vainly to look anywhere but at Jacobs face.

"I see," Jacob looked me over carefully; I was still averting my eyes, and had found my pen to be rather interesting, "No one better be hurt mind you."

"Not like I did anything," I lied lightly, knowing that Jacob didn't believe me anyway.

We fell into to silence again; the only sound to be heard was coming from outside as cars passed by, the trills of bird Pokemon as they roosted in trees, and also the light sound of my pen scrawling on competition form as I filled in my details before starting on the essay. But all silence was soon shattered as a loud bang resounded through the house as the front door flew open and slammed into the wall violently, accompanied by breathless yelling.

"AM I LATE! AM I LATE?" a loud voice erupted from the mouth of an eleven year old boy as he came screaming into the kitchen at warp speed, only to trip over a carelessly abandoned pokedoll and come crashing down to earth.

Jacob was immediately on his feet and by the boys side, helping him get to his feet. The boy had a shock of red hair, wild and untamed. He sported a gangly frame, but eyes a lovely teal drew attention to them, full of kindness and friendship.

"Have a nice trip," I commented lightly to him as Jacob pulled him to his feet.

"Shut-up," He grumbled at me before turning to Jacob, "Am I Late?"

"No Michael, in fact, you're right on time," Jacob smiled at him, "You're the second to arrive."

"Really!" Michael looked around the kitchen in excitement.

"You sure are Michael Microphone," I replied in the stead of Jacob using a nickname I had devised a long time ago for the loud spoken boy, "So why not pull up a chair you little runt."

"I'm not a runt," Michael scowled at me as he chose a seat across the table from me, "And I'm not little."

"Doesn't seem that way to me," I teased him.

"Shut-up," Michael barked at me, a look of annoyance on his face.

"No thank you, I don't think I will," I snickered before poking my tongue out at him in response.

"Both of you cut it out," Jacob scolded us sternly and we immediately stopped, myself pulling my tongue back into my mouth with a sheepish grin, while Jacob, satisfied now that we were now behaving ourselves, handed Michael his own competition form before addressing both of us, "Now, Both of you should get writing, because I will be posting these tonight."

"Gotcha," I mock saluted Jacob before picking up the pen I had abandoned on the table and continuing to write my, as of the moment, short essay.

After a few sparse moments, Michael suddenly piped up, and still writing, I listened to what he had to say.

"Uh, Jacob?"

"Yes Michael."

"I can't so the Essay."

"Say what!" I interjected before Jacob could reply, looking at Michael with a state of shock, my own essay all but forgotten, before blurting out rather quickly, "Why not?"

"I don't know much about Pokemon you find in tropical areas, we're not learning that in school until next term," Michael explained to us, his eyes, not so very long ago full of happiness and excitement, were now dulled by sadness, "The only one I know of is Tropius."

I sat and pondered for a bare moment, before I remembered a rather useful textbook I had in my bag and an idea came to plan, I just had to get around another rule of Jacobs, because essentially, we weren't allowed to use outside influences such as books or other people as we wrote our essays.

"I have an idea," I spoke up and then turning to Jacob I laid it out for them, "I have a textbook in my bag which would be pretty good with helping Michael write his essay, if you permit, of course Jacob."

A look of thought crossed Jacobs face as he looked back and forth between me and Michael. Although I kept my eyes mostly trained on Jacob, I could see out of the corner of my eye the hopeful face Michael had set into his features. Finally, Jacob gave in with a defeated sigh.

"Alright, you can lend him your textbook," Jacob smiled at us, "But for this one time only."

"YES!" Michael yelled out triumphantly, jumping up and standing on top of his seat while I fished the textbook from my bag, "Thank you Jacob."

Grinning at Michael's actions as I withdrew a rather thick textbook from my bag and slid it across the table to the exuberant Michael, who in turn snatched it up eagerly with a smile of thanks, before plopping back into his seat, then opening the book up at a random page and beginning to read the information it supplied, every so often casting me grateful smiles as he jotted down notes.

Overjoyed that I had performed a good deed, I returned to writing my own essay with high spirits and a large grin on my face. As time passed, I found myself more immersed into writing my essay, and not even the arrivals of the other occupants of the house could distract me.

But when David arrived home, I couldn't help but look. His arrival was heralded by the loud sound of someone slamming the door open, and then slamming it shut with equal force. A second passed and, accompanied by a loud squelching sound, David looked in the doorway of the kitchen and scowled, as he noticed that there were already five people filling in their hard earned forms, and all looking at him fixatedly.

Soaking wet and grumbling, we all watched as he skulked away and up the nearby stairs, a heartbeat later, there was the loud slamming of another door, and everyone in the kitchen burst out laughing, while Jacob himself looked on disapprovingly.

It was an hour or two later until I finally leaned back in my seat, laying down my pen, and feeling satisfied with my work. I reread it several times before I deemed it to at least have a chance of being noticed by the judging officials, after which, I neatly sealed it into an envelope with the entry form and handed it to Jacob for safekeeping before he mailed it later that night. Then collecting my textbook from Michael, who was putting his finishing touches on the essay and no longer had need of it, I headed upstairs for the room I shared with one of my many sisters.

Once I had opened the door to the domain however, I was to be met with a brightly colored, wooly assailant flying into my face. Tearing the clothing item from my face, I looked into the room to see pandemonium.

"Yeesh Larana! Waging war, are we," I commented to my roommate as I looked into an extremely messy room, holding a rainbow sweater in my hands

Larana, who had been rummaging around under a desk, jumped in surprise, and in doing so, banged her head on the wood above her and emitting a yelp as she so. A fair skinned girl, with sleek black hair reaching just past her shoulder blades, Larana was of athletic build but excelled in school subjects. Nearly fourteen, she was taller than she should be, but it suited her well. Startled Aqua eyes looked at me in surprise, before narrowing in anger.

A mirror found on the inside of a cupboard door, flung wide open gave me a chance to take a glimpse at myself. I was as short as Larana was tall, which wasn't much of a difference, but was still noticeable. My skin, while usually tanned, burned very easy. My hair was composed of two tones, but was originally a complete bright shade of cobalt blue. I constantly dyed the bangs that I left to hang in my face a dark blue, to separate me from all of the other cobalt haired girls in school, as I hated just being one in a crowd. My eyes were a nice violet, contrasting well with my hair.

Shaking myself from looking at my reflection, vaguely noting that I had what looked like a piece of old banana peel tangled in my messy hair, and also wondering why no-one had commented on it so far, I looked back at Larana, who was glaring at me in annoyance while rubbing the top of her head.

"You do know that the death glare doesn't work," I pointed out as I made my way through the mess of the room towards what I believed to be my bed under all the clothes and other bits and pieces that covered it.

"Don't scare me like that," Larana hissed at me through clenched teeth.

"Why not," I faked a pout, "Its fun."

Larana growled at me while I laughed lightly before gesturing around the room, "So. What's with the battle field?"

The room itself looked like a Dragonairs twister attack had ripped through it, stuff was strewn about everywhere. In accompaniment to the clothes strewn all over my bed, they were all over the floor, the chairs, Larana's bed, there was even a few shirts hanging off the cupboard doors. Paper had been flung off of desks and pokedolls made appearances now and then in the strangest of places.

"I've lost my locket in here somewhere, I was looking for it," Larana sheepishly admitted as she looked around at what should have been called a bedroom, "Legends, what a mess."

"Don't look at me, it wasn't my fault," I defended myself, putting my hands up in front of me, as Larana's gaze fell on me semi-accusingly.

"But Jessica might not think so," Larana pointed out an important factor.

"I get your point," I put my finger to my chin thoughtfully as I remembered the rampage Jessica had gone on last time we forgot to clean our room, "Looks like we should get cleaning then."

"I guess so," Larana sighed disdainfully.

Deciding to make a game out of it, I began to act like a soldier, giving mock orders.

"Alright soldier, your mission today is to tackle the left side of these here battlements, while I wage war on the right."

"Yes captain," Larana saluted playfully with laughter in her voice as she moved to clean up.

Looking at my bed, the rainbow sweater still in my hands, I picked up all clothing articles from it before dumping all of them in a pile in the middle of the room, which was surprisingly clean of anything.

"Hey 'Rana," I called out to my sister, "Just put all the clothes in a pile for now, we can sort them out later."

"Will do," Larana muffled voice came from where she was rummaging under her bed, occasionally a random item flying out from underneath.

Snickering silently for a moment or two, I continued to clean my side of the room occasionally picking up an article of clothing and flinging it onto the ever growing pile. Grumbling inwardly, I concluded to myself that the clean up job was going to take a long time to finish, but nevertheless, continued to carry out my most hated chore.

TBC

Okay, being re-written again due to the fact, not only do I have major writers block, but also the make the story fit together better. Please read and review

The new Pokemon mentioned in this chapter are © by me. Do not use them without permission.

Pokemon is © by Nintendo.


	2. Chapter 2

The Dezen Discovery

By LoneGrowlithe

Chapter Two

Boredom, complete and utter boredom, hung like a thick cloud over everyone in the classroom as the math teacher, Mr. Haskin, droned on continuously about stuff we had already learned in previous months. To entertain myself to a degree at least, I idly doodled in my books trying not to listen to the voice of one of the most boring teachers in school.

I chanced a quick glance to where Larana was seated, and watched her yawn due to boredom as she looked dreamily out the window. Stifling a yawn myself, seeing as how they were so catchy, I turned my attention from others in the class back to my drawing. A roughly sketched Ninetales picture, my favorite Pokemon, adorned one of the sheets of white paper I always kept stashed in my bag.

With a frown, I noted that the fox Pokemon's head was far to large in comparison to its body, and the tails were all out of place, but no matter what changes I made it still seemed to end up the same. With a shrug, remembering an old saying, practice makes perfect, I decided that this was the best I could come up with at the moment, and pulling a cream colored pencil from my case, I proceeded to color in the Ninetales picture.

I was so intently coloring in my picture, I was taken by complete surprise when a very irate Mr. Haskin yanked the cream pencil from my grasp, causing me to jump in mild fright.

"I would prefer it, Danny, if you paid more attention to your schoolwork and not your artwork," he chided grumpily, before handing my pencil back and walking stiffly to his desk, but not before addressing me once more, "Now, Turn to page two-hundred and fifty-four in your textbook and complete the work I have set out on the board."

"Yes Sir," I said meekly, a hot blush creeping up my face as the rest of the class laughed at my shame.

Sliding the paper with the Ninetales picture into the back of my book and tossing my cream pencil back into my pencil case I snatched up the textbook that was on my desk and flipped it open to the appropriate page and doing the questions listed on the board. After twenty minutes of doing boring math question after boring math questioned, I was relieved to finally hear the bell, which not only heralded the end of math class, but also the end of school for that day, and also the week. Gratefully, I packed up my stuff, and without so much as a goodbye to Mr. Haskins, I dashed out of the room, and waited for Larana to exit the room herself.

"So, birthday girl, what shall we be doing this afternoon," I asked my raven haired friend when she finally conceded to join me and we headed for the front entrance of the school and our freedom.

"Danny," Larana cried out in exasperation, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't yell it out for the whole school to hear."

"I thought Michael already did that this morning, you know, when he snuck into the office and used the loudspeaker to announce it to everyone," I reminded her of the incident that had happened that morning.

"I was trying to forget about that," Larana moaned in embarrassment as a blush crept up her face.

"Look on the bright side," I laughed, "He did get detention for a week."

"I guess so; he did deserve it anyway," Larana smiled, before turning to me, "How about we head off to the battle park today, watch a few battles before we head home."

"Well, why the hell not," I agreed, "It'd be something to do, and who knows, maybe we could see some rare Pokemon from outside trainers."

"Let's go then," Larana grabbed my hand and practically dragged me out of the school, before setting course for the large battle park that was located up the street from the school.

One of three in the city itself, the Battle Park was a place that was commonly set aside for Pokemon trainers, although it was open to the general public. Pokemon trainers, local and visiting, would commonly swamp the parks during the day hours, and sometimes into the late hours of the night, challenging other Pokemon trainers to battles or just letting their Pokemon have a relaxing day.

Numerous battlefields dotted the park, officially ruled out to mimic the battlefields used in gyms and stadiums. Grandstands flanked the fields, as anyone was free to watch any battled that occurred, and could sit comfortably while doing so. The park, large and well kept, in some places overgrown, was a perfectly habitable place for wild Pokemon, and so they roamed the park, although usually staying well away from areas people frequented. A Pokemon centre could be found just across the road, providing quick access to healing.

We soon reached the battle park, as it was so close to the school, and were just two among the throngs of students flocking into the park, to just calm down after a day of school, watch battles and for some, participate in battles themselves. Larana and I made our way over to the closest battlefield, and perched ourselves on the topmost bench of the grandstand that loomed over it, to allow us a better view of a battle, when one started that was.

To pass the time until a battle did start, I reached into my bag and withdrew my pencil case, and then my math book. Retrieving my half finished Ninetales picture from where I had slotted it into the back, I dug in my pencil case for the cream pencil and continued to color it in. Not a couple of minutes later, I felt a prodding in my side, and I looked up to glare at Larana.

"I just thought that you'd want to watch a battle, if not, I'll just leave you be," Larana smiled at me before turning her attention to the battlefield.

"Of course I want to watch," I retorted, my attention drawn away now from my picture and to the battle field down below.

Sure enough, two trainers, one boy and one girl, were taking their places at either end of the battlefield, the terms of the battle had probably already been discussed beforehand. Looking closer at the two trainers, I immediately recognized the girl trainer to be one of the multiple that attended our school. If I remembered correctly, her name was Tara-Jane or TJ as she preferred, and she was the most well known trainer in the school, probably for the fact that she had beaten every other trainer that attended there, and was the schools champion trainer in funded tournaments run by board of education for student trainers.

TJ was a fair skinned girl, with deep red hair fashioned in wavy lines down her back and determined features seat into her round face, jade eyes concentrated on the field before her, waiting for her opponents' first move. Her hair was decorated with a single, but rather large jade clip, and stuck onto it by magnetic force were six minimized pokeballs, each only about the size of a large marble.

TJ, once a traveling trainer, having traversed a large part of Kanto and some of Jhoto, had returned home to finish her education before setting out once again to continue traveling, the reasons why however were unknown, but she could always be found frequenting the battle parks. She had taken the challengers side of the field, standing stock still in the trainers' box, waiting for the boy to choose his Pokemon.

Her opponent, having taken up his place in the trainers' box on the other side of the field, had his hair spiked up about his face, colored a bright blonde. From what I could see of his face, half hidden by the spikes of his hair, he was looking rather determined to win this battle, a pokeball was already in his hand, maximized to full size. However I failed to recognize him, and therefore I figured he must have been from out of town, or having come from another school; he appeared to only be about thirteen.

Then, almost expertly, the boy pulled back his arm, and lobbed it forwards onto the field, a certain mechanism, known as the boomerang mechanism, ensured that the ball returned safely to his hand once the Pokemon had been released from its confines.

The Pokemon that emerged from the ball rivaled its trainer in size. Its pelt was a cunning white, and it stood on the battle field waving its arms enthusiastically, brimming with unkempt energy. It stood firmly on its two legs, feet armed with two stout claws; its hands too were armed with two claws per hand, although the claws were longer than those on its feet. It had an oval head, with a large mouth, its jaws lined with sharp looking teeth. A tuft of bright red hair started at the brows of its eyes, and fluffed upwards forming a rather messy looking tear shape. Red paw pads decorated the palms of its hands, and two brown stripes adorned its back. A small tufted white tail completed the Pokemon.

"A Vigoroth," I identified the Pokemon, rather impressed by the choice, "you don't see too many of them around Dezen."

"He could be from Hoenn, you know that they're most common there," Larana pondered aloud.

"Probably, but who knows, he could be from elsewhere," I replied to her before looking at TJ's side of the field expectantly, "I wonder what Pokemon TJ will choose."

We watched as TJ eyed up the competition carefully, before finally reaching up to her hair clip and pulling off one of the six pokeballs and maximizing it before, accompanied by a fancy spin, she threw it onto the battle field. In the trademark flash of white, TJ's Pokemon appeared not even half the size of the Vigoroth it faced.

A small lizard like creature, with fluffy curls adorning its head, its main color scheme was red. No bigger than TJ's knee, it blurted a small wispy flame from its yellow beak as it glared up at the Vigoroth that towered above it. Adorning its stomach was a patch of yellow fur, while another patch of fur encircling its neck was colored black. It had a stout, red furred tail, and had short claws fixed on both hands and feet.

"A Magby," Larana exclaimed in surprise and awe when she recognized the baby Pokemon, "I never knew she had one."

"I guess it could be a pretty hot battle then," I joked, rather badly I guessed as Larana cast me a withering glare.

"Just watch the battle," she huffed and taking her advice and her tone of voice to reason, I shut my mouth and watched the battle.

The battle itself was fierce, with the small fire type pitted up against an overly energetic normal type that was twice its size. Our attention solely on the battle, Larana and I ignored the commands shouted, and preferred to try and guess the attacks that were being thrown about. But all too soon the battle was over, and the victor, standing on its fallen opponents stomach proudly, was Magby, having just delivered the winning Headbutt attack, and then began to dance happily.

People who had gathered to watch the epic battle suddenly broke out into cheers at TJ's victory, Larana and I included, as a majority of the spectators had been kids from our school, here to watch battles or participate in them. Once the cheers had died down, the two trainers met in the middle of the field as they collected their Pokemon, before having an exchange of words, and prize money, before heading their separate ways.

The rest of the day was spent at the battle park, watching numerous battles as they erupted on the particular field our grandstand looked over. During the intervals between battles, I immersed myself into the completion of my Ninetales picture, and after it had been finished, had begun on a Dragonite, while Larana read a book to pass the time. But soon after an interesting battle between a pair of evenly matched Quagsire, Larana voiced aloud that she wanted to go home.

"Sure," I agreed almost immediately after I glanced at the time on my watch, and began to pack up my stuff, "it's getting late anyway and it will take a while to walk home."

I finished packing away my stuff and the two of us collected our bags and stepped off the grandstand, heading swiftly for the front gate and turning towards home. It was indeed a long walk, but I was feeling giddy and excited the whole way as the sky darkened as night fell upon us, and it wasn't until we reached the street before home that I put my plan into action.

"Race you home," I yelled loudly in Larana's ear as I gave her a slight push, enough to send her stumbling and I raced past, making a mad dash for home.

"Hey," Larana's voice erupted disdainfully from behind me and I chanced a small glance back to see if she was following me, and was relieved to see that she was.

I managed to keep ahead, thanks to the head start I had gotten, and was soon leaping up the front stairs of the house and flinging open the front door. I dashed through to doorway and down the hall a bit before turning left and into the living room, leaving the front door wide open behind me. Once I was in the living room, which was pitch black, much like the rest of the house save for the porch light, I ducked behind a couch and waited for Larana to show.

The surprise party for Larana had been weeks in the making, and the task had fallen to me to keep my friend distracted after school today so that our friends and family could set everything up for the party, but thankfully, going to the battle park that afternoon had accomplished that task well enough, and Larana hadn't suspected a thing. A snicker was heard from the other side of a room, followed by the sounds of someone shushing them.

Straining my ears, I listened for Larana's footsteps, and soon heard them as her shoes pounded on the front steps, and soon the wood of the floor in the hallway. I heard her voice her concerns about the front door being left open and the pitch black hallway. Everyone I believe tensed as they heard the front door close, and then her footsteps echoing down the hall. Seconds later the light switch was flicked and light flooded the room.

"SURPRISE," Yells filled the room as everyone leapt up from their hiding places, giving Larana quite a fright.

"You guys," she shrieked as we all laughed at the bewildered expression she had planted on her face, but was soon to be replaced by a smile, "You're all plain evil, you know I hate surprises."

"We know that," laughed Gregory, a twelve year old with black hair, and amber eyes hidden behind glasses, "It was just an opportunity we couldn't resist."

Soon after the party was in full swing, with more than just one person acting stupid and giving everyone else a chance to laugh. I was one of those stupid people, but only because I had become so hyped up on sugar, I was acting completely bonkers and yelling out random things I saw at the top of my lungs, causing a lot of people to start hooting with laughter. I always tended to get hyper very easily, and when I did, I tended to do things I would never usually be caught doing.

Eventually we came upon the time when Larana would be able to open all of her gifts, and there was a heap from all of her friends and family. My gift to her had been two books, both on Pokemon, but more specifically the types of normal and water, her two most favorite. Many more present followed, until we got to what everyone thought would be the most interesting one, the present from Tommy, Larana's actual brother.

Tommy was a lot like Larana, Jacob and Jessica had taken them both in at the same time, after their parents had died in a fire that had started in their apartment complex, seeing the sense to keep them together because they were siblings by birth; he happened to have the same raven black hair, although he kept his cropped short, whereas Larana grew hers long. His eyes however were amber, compared to the startling aqua Larana's eyes held. Tommy wasn't present at the party however; as he was off elsewhere in the world, training his team of Pokemon.

He had become a trainer through the same competition I had entered two years previously and had begun his own journey into Kanto, with his beginning Pokemon Keigan, a small and spry Poochyena. Since then he had traveled Kanto, building his Pokemon team and collecting badges for near on two years, before finally entering the Indigo league with high hopes to win, but had sadly not made it very far.

The last we had heard of him before now, was that he was somewhere in Hoenn training his Pokemon and collecting new ones before going to challenge the Indigo League again. Everyone expected his present to be something exciting, but when looking at the small box wrapped in blue wrapping paper and finished off with a silver bow, it didn't really seem so. Everyone watched and waited patiently as Larana opened the gift from her brother and pulled out a small note that was enclosed on the inside.

"Dear Larana," she read it aloud for everyone to hear, "Happy fourteenth birthday little sis', I do hope you have fun just getting a little bit older. You'll find what I hope to be your best gift this year in this box, I'm pretty sure that you will adore it and I hope I may see you soon. Have fun walking. Love Tommy," Larana finished reading the note, and then held it out at arms length, looking at it skeptically, "Have fun walking', what the hell is that meant to mean."

"Maybe you should see what else he sent you," suggested Madison, a young girl with a big imagination, "Maybe that could tell you why."

"Could do," Larana said before reaching into the box and pulling out a heap of bubble wrap and tossing it to the floor.

Reaching once more into the box, she then pulled out a small flat device, which was a light cream color, and upon her pressing of a button flipped open to become a book like shape.

"It's a pokedex," Larana spoke up after looking at it for a while in silence, before she placed it on her lap and her hand flew back into the box again.

The next object to be pulled out was a small, yet bulky device whose top flipped open and displayed a map like projection in a hologram, and was soon identified as a pokenav. After that, Larana pulled out what appeared to be a laminated card, which Larana looked at with a chalk white face, and a look of utter surprise on her face, before she reached once more into the box with great enthusiasm, and pulled out an easily recognizable red and white sphere, a pokeball, maximized to full size.

"What did Tommy send you all this stuff for," Gregory, the family's pokemaniac piped up as we all looked over the items in perplexity, "A pokedex, and pokenav, a pokeball, and a card."

"I know what they're all for," color started to come back into Larana's face as it lit up with a smile, "The pokedex is to identify Pokemon I see, the pokenav is so I know where I am, and where I'm going. I have a trainer card for identification, and lastly the pokeball, which holds my first Pokemon."

"Wait, so Tommy's gift to you for your birthday is making you a Pokemon trainer?" Michael asked tentatively.

"It seems so," Larana was now grinning, "And I understand the 'have fun walking' part of his letter now."

Everyone seemed to be a bit stupefied, until I finally snapped and broker the silence.

"Now that is abso-freaking-lutely FANTASTIC," my yell filled the room as I jumped up and pulled Larana into a hug, "Now this is some birthday, isn't it."

"It sure is, it's the best one yet," Larana agreed, hugging me back, before everyone else came forwards to congratulate her in the same manner.

"Hey Larana," Piped up Holly, the youngest of us all, curiously, "What Pokemon did you get anyway."

"Well, maybe we should find out," Larana held up the pokeball that was still in her hand, and gave it a small toss towards the spare space on the couch next to her.

The two halves of the ball exploded apart and in the rush of bright light that came with it, a small Pokemon took shape. The Pokemon was feline in shape, and greatly resembled an Eevee although it clearly wasn't one, with the same comparisons of size. The fur was a dusky brown, a shade lighter than that of an Eevee, with cream white ruff bushing about its neck. Flicking triangle ears ended in cream white tufts, and there were identical ruffs bunched about each of its feet in the same creamy color. Behind it stretched a long slinky tail; its end consumed by yet another tuft of creamy fur which whipped at the air as the tail moved of its own accord.

The Pokemon was one that I recognized, having seen it as a major contestant in Pokemon contests I had watched on TV, commonly used in them for its cuteness. It was in fact, a Pokemon that was native to Dezen, and was first discovered here and called Kitana by name. Affectionately referred to as Eevee's feline cousin, it shared the same unstable DNA strand, allowing it the potential to evolve into many different types of Pokemon.

This particular Kitana, upon landing on the couch, looked up at all of us with chocolate eyes, and in them appeared to a mischievous glint. It looked around with curiosity, before leaping off of the couch to inspect everyone more closely. Most of the girls and the younger kids in the room immediately descended on the cat Pokemon, crooning and fawning over how cute it was.

"This is awesome," Larana spoke up as she looked over the rest of the stuff Tommy had sent her again, "I would've never thought that I'd actually get to be a trainer, but now, I just can't believe that I am. I just wonder where he gotten the Kitana though, he definitely couldn't have caught it, you need a permit to do that."

"The only other choice would be a breeding centre," Gregory spoke up, not bothering to look away from the pokedex Larana had let him have control of for the time being.

"Is there anything else in the box," I asked her as she pondered; "Maybe there could be a clue or two in there."

Larana immediately picked up the near empty box and tore out the rest of the bubble wrap, but nothing else was to be found, not even a shred more of bubble wrap. Larana looked a bit crestfallen, until once again Gregory spoke.

"You know, a pokedex can list the personal information of your Pokemon for you," he suggested, "Would you like me to get it to run Kitana's data?"

"Please do Gregory," Larana looked up at the pokemaniac as he pressed some buttons on the pokedex before pointing it at Kitana.

"Kitana the evolution cat Pokemon

Kitana is a closely related cousin to Eevee. In the instance that Eevee and its evolutions are officially regarded as dogs, Kitana and their evolutions are officially regarded as cats. The Kitana species share the same unstable DNA strand that Eevee itself possesses," the pokedex, in a slightly female toned voice, droned out the pokedex entry for Kitana, "Pokemon gender: Female,

Pokemon size: 1' 02"

Pokemon Type: Normal

Known attacks: Scratch, growl, Tackle," it finished by listing this particular Kitana's data.

"That sounds pretty good," I commented before looking at Larana inquisitively, "So. Do you think you'll give her a name?"

"I dunno, it would make her easier to find if she was in a group of Kitana," Larana pondered as she retrieved the pokedex from Gregory and placed it in the box with the pokenav and her trainer card, "I've also heard that a Pokemon tends to like you better if you grace them with a name, instead of just calling them by their species name all the time."

"Your call," I shrugged, as Larana closed the box, and then withdrew Kitana's pokeball from her pocket, where she had placed it when she was packing the stuff away.

"Kitana," Larana called softly, and the bidden Pokemon came prancing to her, leaping deftly into her arms with a happy mew, instantly recognizing Larana for her owner, "No. No you're not Kitana anymore, your new name now is Kida, got that."

"Taaaa," the newly named Kida mewed happily and rubbed her cheek up against Larana's.

"I believe Kida likes her new name," mentioned Jessica, our foster mother, who currently bore one of the largest smiles we had ever seen on her face, her crystal eyes sparkling with happy tears.

"Yeah, that's it, your Kida. My first Pokemon partner," Larana whispered in a voice so low, I barely hear her, as she hugged the kitten Pokemon to her chest, a calm and content smile on her face.

TBC

Next chapter finished and over with…Hope it's a good read for you all, please read and review

The new Pokemon mentioned in this chapter are © by me. Do not use them without permission.

Pokemon is © by Nintendo.


	3. Chapter 3

The Dezen Discovery

By LoneGrowlithe

Chapter Three

The room Larana and I shared seemed to have once again been struck with pandemonium. I was looking mournfully at what had once been my Skitty pokedoll, now it was only a pile of torn fabric and the stuffing strewn about the floor of the room I shared with Larana. I also noticed that the bottoms of the curtains hanging in front of the window were absolutely torn to ribbons, and I turned to glare at the perpetrator in question.

"You are so lucky you're cute," I hissed at the snickering Kitana on top of one of the cupboards, "Of all days for Larana to be kept back after school."

I looked again at the mess of destroyed pokedoll on the floor, and at Kida again, still very much angry at her.

"Get down from there."

Kida snickered at me again and stuck her tongue out at me cheekily, before promptly sitting down and proceeding to clean one of the puffs of creamy fur about her forefeet, positively ignoring me.

"You're going to be flayed alive when Jessica sees this you know," I commented to the cat, indicating the mess she had made.

Kida just looked at me with apparent boredom and then continued grooming. I sighed heavily; in the four weeks since Larana had first received Kida on her birthday as a gift from her brother Tommy, it had been discovered by the whole household that the kitten Pokemon was a mischievous and naughty creature.

She had clawed curtains to ribbons, broken lamps and vases, torn up pillows and pokedolls, and even torn apart one of David's shirts while he had been wearing it, although he had deserved it, considering he had called her a mangy flea ridden feline at the time and she had probably seen cause to retaliate.

So, because of her 'property damaging curiosity' or however Jacob had put it, she had since been confined to the room Larana and I shared whenever she was free of her pokeball. And considering that Larana preferred to leave the Kitana free of confinement, it was pretty much all the time, and it also meant that she was free to wreak complete havoc on our room.

I glared up at Kida once more, before with a huff, I grabbed an old denim jacket off the hook on the back of the door, thankfully out of reach of Kida claws, and stepped out of the room, closing the door securely behind me so that Kida wouldn't escape into the rest house and bring down Jessica's wrath upon me. Pulling on the jacket as I leapt down the stairs, I decided that I was going to get out of the house for a while and head to the community centre nearby.

Jotting down a quick note to Jessica and Jacob, so that they knew where I would be, I left the house, and jogged down the road towards a building that stood out from all of the rest, mainly for the fact that it was the biggest building in the area, rising up a full four stories and the whole exterior painted a blinding white. The community centre offered a variety of activities for bored kids in the neighborhood, ranging from having indoors and outdoors playing fields and a whole level dedicated to game play alone.

It even offered classes for bidding young kids who were ready to head out on their first journey with a Pokemon they had obtained, teaching them survival skills and how to live while traveling. Larana herself had been attending these classes, although she had made no attempt at telling any of us when exactly she might be leaving on her own journey with Kida.

It didn't take me long to reach the centre, and I made my way absently through the front door, pausing only to give a small wave of greeting to the receptionist at the front desk before making my way upstairs. The interior of the building was vastly different than opposed to its exterior.

The walls, which once had been white, were splattered with all different colors of paint, and looked all the more that someone had just taken small blobs of the different colored paints at a time and thrown them at the flat surfaces. Even stranger, were the covers to the lights; the glass of them warped and molded into crazy shapes and colored myriads of different colors, sending splashes of multicolored light all over the place. Another noticeable feature was the carpet, which was actually made to simulate grass, was laid out through the whole of the building.

I paid little heed however to the things surrounding me, as I had seen it all dozens of times before, and instead just walked along absentmindedly until I finally reached my destination, the community centers Games room on the fourth floor. Upon entering, loud blast of sounds assaulted my ears and I winced, I hated loud noises. Dozens of kids were milling about the auditorium sized room, all participating in random activities, while music blared from speakers on the small stage set up in the far corner.

It wasn't long before I got involved in an activity with some other people I knew frequented the community center. I was so deeply engrossed in a game of monopoly with them, that I almost failed to notice as an old friend from school had entered the room a half-hour later. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he slouched his way over to one of the multiple couches to be found in the room and took a seat.

I quickly excused myself from the small circle of friends I had been playing with, letting them fight it out between themselves who got what share of my game money, and made my way over to my friend. He was a lanky teen, who had a laid back attitude over life. His honey hair was cropped very short, and his blue eyes hidden behind a pair of dark shades. He was wearing his preferred attire of a Jersey and baggy pants, to combat the constantly cool temperatures that reigned over Dezen year round.

"Hey Joe," I smiled broadly, punching him lightly on the shoulder as I sat down next to him on the couch, noting his apparently crestfallen expression, "something wrong?"

"Hey," he replied sullenly, "Nothings wrong."

"Oh really Joseph," I bristled with fake anger, using his full name just to irritate him, which apparently worked as he scowled at me, to which I flashed back a smile, "I know there's something wrong, so you might as well tell me before I force it out of you."

"Fine," He sighed, giving in uncharacteristically quick, "I got a reply back from the Pokemon League Officials, the ones that were judging the contest," my interest was piqued and I nodded sharply, intent on hearing more, "Well, I didn't win," He finished and his expression seemed to become even more sullen than it had started.

"Aww, I'm sorry Joe, Maybe next time," I comforted him, trying to cheer him up, but in my stomach Butterfrees started to swarm.

If Joe had received a reply, I was due to receive one any day, and I was feeling nervous now. It must have shown on my face, for Joe looked at me, and bared me a little smile.

"I wonder if you've won," He spoke, and I just nodded.

"I wonder too."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

School the next day found me far from my studies, and I knew full well that I wasn't the only one, for half the people in my class just seemed to be zoning out into space, oblivious to what was going on around them. The reason was the same for all of us though; we were nervous, and anxious to know what our replies from the competition officials would be.

My current teacher happened to have noticed the lack of interest most his students were exhibiting, and left them well enough alone, but I hadn't minded, I was content to just look out the window and think…dwell on the possibility that maybe I may have won, and wondered what Pokemon I might get for a starter, and where I might be beginning my own journey with my first partner.

Time seemed to pass very quickly today, and for that I was thankful, for when the final bell rang, signaling the end of school for the day, I eagerly snatched up my bag and was blazing my way out of the school and towards home. It felt to me as though it took ages to get home, even though I ran at a flat run, familiar scenery passing me by in a blur, and was finally relieved to be bounding up the front steps and in the door.

I sincerely hoped that the mail had been delivered today and hopefully with it, the exact thing I had been waiting for for so long. The door slammed behind me after I had leapt through, but this time I had taken special care not to let the end of my braid be caught as it had so many weeks before. My first stop was the kitchen, and rushing my way over to where a pile of mail lay, I flipped through it with all the manner of Linoone.

But when my hands came up empty, I uttered a slight "damn" and with that, dropped the now un-important stack of mail back on the counter and made my way dejectedly for the stairs. I had barely begun my ascent however when I heard a meaningful, yet faked, cough from behind me which piqued my interest, and I turned to find Jacob standing behind me, having just emerged from the living room.

"Afternoon Jacob," I smiled sheepishly, I was getting an eerie feeling that I was in trouble for something, just what exactly, I didn't know.

"Good-afternoon Danny," he replied back, his voice level and even toned, and the feeling I had seemed to get even stronger, "You seem quite excited today."

"Uh….yeah, well, um," I was lost for words, and embarrassed so I quickly made an excuse for a strategic retreat, "I'm just going to go to my room. Bye."

I started, trying to make a quick dash up the stairs, but once again was stayed by Jacob as he suddenly held up several envelopes, all of them a powdered shade of red. My attention now solely focused on them, I failed to see Jacobs amused smile as he removed one of them from the small number and passed it to me through the guard rails.

"T-t-thank you," I managed to stammer out as I took the envelope in my hands, before numbly starting my way up the stairs again.

"You welcome Danny," Jacob replied, humor in his voice, before it turned stern, "And don't let that cat out."

I barely heard him as I wandered to my room and entered; barely managing to close the door after me in time as a fuzzy brown blur came rocketing from beneath one of the beds, only to be abruptly stopped as it collided with the door I had barely managed to close.

"TAAANAAA," Kida yowled pitifully as she looked at me, and then back at the door.

I rolled my eyes, she wanted out, and I wasn't about to let her, "No way, not after what happened last time you got out. So stop meowin' at me."

I threw my bag into a corner of the room, it sliding to join a pile of what happened to be heaps of paper and books for school, before collapsing onto my bed, looking at the envelope I held, trying to gather up the courage to open it. Kida, almost unnoticed, leapt up on the bed next to me and curled up by my side, and I gave her a few scratches behind the ears before returning my attention to the envelope.

Damn…I was so scared about opening it, but I really wanted to know what was inside, but was scared about the fact that I had probably not placed anywhere. I took a deep breath and gathered my courage, before opening the envelope and removing the papers inside. Unfolding them, I began to read them aloud to myself.

"Miss Danielle Waverson," I snorted with a slight of laughter at being referred to as a Miss, "We are incredibly pleased to inform you that you, with your marvelous essay on tropical Pokemon, have been awarded fourth place in the yearly Trainers Chance Competition.

Enclosed in this envelope you will find an information document on the Awards Ceremony, your Trainer Identification Card, and an Information Pamphlet to supply you until you receive a proper Trainers Guide at the Awards ceremony.

Aaron Jenson

Head of Trainer Regulations

Jhoto," I finished, my breath suddenly taken away from me as I seemed to lose the ability to breathe.

I sat for a moment or two, until the need to breathe became urgent and I gulped in a welcomed breath of fresh air. I skimmed over the letter again, hoping that I hadn't read wrong, and then felt an incredible excitement welling up in my chest, before I suddenly leapt up and started jumping up and down on the bed joyously, the papers falling forgotten from my hands and to the floor.

Kida was bounced up into the air with an almighty yowl, landing daintily on the carpet before bolting for cover under Larana's bed. I didn't give much care however, to caught up in my jubilant jumps of excited victory. I was jerked out of my happy daze when the door was suddenly flung open and Larana and Jacob stepped inside, both with amused, curious, yet also annoyed expressions on their faces.

"What's going on Danny?" Jacob asked rather sternly and I smiled sheepishly, and when I failed to say anything, Jacob spoke again with a demanding voice, "Well?"

I kept my silence, but yet the smile seemed to have become a permanent fixture as I jumped off of the bed and bent down to pick up the scattered papers. I handed the initial letter to Jacob, the one I had read first, but kept the others to myself skimming them over while Jacob read what I had handed him.

I skimmed over the document detailing the Awards ceremony. It basically told me the date, place and time of the ceremony, but also detailed what Pokemon were available and the presenting professors.

Professor Oak from Kanto was the first. The world renowned, yet aged professor was close to retirement, and eventually his grandson would take his place as foremost professor in Kanto. But the aged professor himself would be the one present at the ceremony, and bringing with him the Pokemon Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Pidgey.

Next was Professor Elm from Jhoto. Almost as highly known as Professor Oak, Elm was also the head of the Pokemon Preservation Council worldwide. He himself would be bringing along the Pokemon Totodile, Cyndaquil, Chickorita and Pichu.

Lastly was the top ranking professor of Dezen itself, Professor Bramble. One of the top in the field of studying Pokemon habitats, he would be presenting the native Pokemon of this region Asydri, Leafius, Cascardron and Zaep at the ceremony.

Also awarded, along with the Pokemon, were packs of all of the stuff a beginning trainer would need, and then some.

Excitement welled up in my chest again, and I started bouncing in my spot. Finally I was going to be a trainer, and was also going to get my first Pokemon, I couldn't wait. I let my eyes trail back over to Larana and Jacob, both of whom were just finishing reading the paper I had given them.

Larana looked at me with a surprised look on her face, before it broke into a grin.

"This is awesome Dan' Now you're a trainer too," She smiled and leapt at me, pulling me into a crushing hug, "we could go traveling together."

"Yeah," I agreed hugging her back, before looking at Jacob whose stern expression had changed into a soft proud one.

"Congratulations Danny," Jacob smiled and pulled me into a hug also.

"Thanks Jacob," I smiled back at him happily.

"So, what else did you get?" Larana asked excitedly as she tried to extract Kida from under the bed.

"Information stuff mostly, like when the Awards Ceremony is and all that," I told her, "But I also got my Trainer ID card."

"When is the ceremony," Jacob abruptly asked, and I was prompted to look at the sheet again.

"Two weeks from now…on the twelfth of the month of Kyogre," I read from the sheet, and read a little more, "Also says I have a pre-paid bus ticket from here to Judan village."

"You mean you're starting here, in Dezen, Awesome," Larana cheered, finally able to coax her kitten Pokemon from under the bed and had her gathered in her arms, "We could both come home anytime we want to visit."

"You really want to travel with me?" I asked, curious, "it'd mean you'd have to wait another two weeks."

"I don't care," Larana declared expressively, "I'd much rather go with a friend than strike out on my own."

"Then we better get started," I smiled as I bounced over to my desk and pulled out a spare notebook and gathered a pen.

"Start what?" Larana asked confused.

"A list of what we need of course," I smiled cheekily at her before sitting on my bed.

Jacob smiled at us both fondly, "I leave you two to plan," and with that he left the two of us be.

"What do we need a list for, you'll be getting most of the stuff you need at the ceremony," Larana inquired as she sat on her bed, letting Kida down to sit at her side.

"For you of course silly," I looked at her pointedly, "You're going to need travel stuff as well, and not to mention stuff for Kida. I'll need to take some stuff along too; I won't have everything in the pack I'll get."

"Guess your right," Larana resigned looking down at the spot on the bed beside her and then looked around in confusion, "Where'd Kida go."

I looked around too, at the shredded bottoms of the curtains, then to the open door, before looking over to the cupboard before doing a double take, "Oh damn, the doors open."

Larana and I looked at each other for a moment, before leaping to our feet and bolting for the door, hoping to find Kida before trouble happened. We were too late however, because from downstairs came a loud crashing sound as something was broken, followed by the loud yowling of Kida and a violently colorful string of language coming from who could only be Jessica.

I winced, looking at Larana carefully, "I never thought Jessica would know words like that."

"I didn't think so either," Larana winced too, before sighing and heading for the stairs, "Guess I better go face the music."

"You! I'm gonna get it too," I said as I fell into step beside her, and she gave me a questioning glace to which I replied, "I'm supposed to watch her as well."

Larana nodded as we started down the stairs to go face the wrath that was Jessica.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Now, are you sure you two have got everything," Jessica was fussing over Larana and I incessantly, "You should both go through your bags one more time, just to make sure."

I snickered whilst Larana groaned. Jessica had been extremely fussy over the two of us for the past three days, but this could have been the worst point, seeing as how, in barely an hour, Larana and I would be on a bus towards the coastal village of Judan, where I would be attending the Awards Ceremony for the competition before the two of us headed out on our travels around the continent.

When the rest of the household had found out about my winning the competition, it had been met with congratulations and scorn all around. While most of my family had been happy for me, there were those who got a case of the green eyed monster, one of the worst being David. As a result, some fights had started out between me and him after he'd thrown insults at me which I just had to retaliate to.

The past two weeks had been chock full of preparations for mine and Larana's departure as well. We had both been attending pre-journey classes in which we learnt a lot about traveling, like how to ration food, and also pokemon care classes. We'd also managed to spend a fair deal of money just getting half the stuff we needed, mostly for Larana's sake, but Jacob had also given us both a fair amount of money which should last us a while in our travels, so long as we didn't flaunt it.

"Yes Jessica, We have everything," Larana moaned, putting a hand to her head, "We've got blankets, clothes, food, even that little information pamphlet Danny's. There's no need to fuss."

"What about her," I snickered, bouncing on my feet, as I pointed at Kida who was sprawled out on the kitchen table, yawning blearily at being awake at such an early hour.

"She'll be in a pokeball for the bus trip," Larana supplied, grumpy as she shifted her backpack more comfortably on her shoulder, while I nodded in affirmation.

"Ah, good then, can't have her causing havoc among the other passengers," I grinned ecstatically, "Or you for that matter…I wonder if we can find a pokeball to put you in."

Larana glared daggers at me while I just returned a cheeky smile, and then ducked as Larana lashed out at me, only just managing to swipe my braid as I dropped into a crouch.

"Ooooh, touchy," I snickered as I stood and sauntered out of reach, poking my tongue out at her.

"Mew forbid," Larana muttered grumpily as she glared at me, "Why the bus has to leave at four in the morning is beyond me."

I bounced around for a little while longer, while Jessica just watched us smiling, and getting somewhat teary at the thought that we would be leaving soon. Then Larana yawned, and a grumpy look settled on her face again as she muttered about the extremely early time.

"Oh come now," I laughed as I leapt forwards, and tugged at the end of her jet black Ponyta tail, "You've gotta be a bit happier than that."

Larana swiped at me again, only to miss once more before yelling as her temper broke, ignoring the fact that most of the household was still asleep, "What the hell is up with you."

"I couldn't sleep last night," I countered, "So I stayed out here all night and read books, jumped around and drank coffee."

"Coffee," Larana exclaimed incredulously, "That stuff makes you a lunatic."

She was telling the truth with that, I was more or less completely wired, and when I was happy and hyperactive, not mention having had no sleep, I was usually a force to be reckoned with, and incredibly annoying to most people.

"I couldn't sleep," I shrugged and danced about again, impatient to get going.

"So you got coffee," Larana shrilly proclaimed causing Kida to yowl and Jessica hurried to shush them both.

"Well, why not, I would have been awake all night anyway," I snickered behind my hand, if looks could kill; I would have been dead around about now.

"Now girls," Jessica jumped in, trying to soothe us both, as we were probably inches away from a fight, "This is no time for fighting, every one is asleep."

Although we didn't fight yet, the room now silent, Larana continued to be grumpy, occasionally shooting me dirty looks, while I was mainly oblivious, jumping around the kitchen happily in coffee and sleepless induced hyperactivity. The silence got to me quickly though, I was preparing to crack another comment at Larana to tick her off more when Jacob waltzed into the room, dressed in casual clothing much like Larana and myself were.

"Alright girls," Jacob declared as he looked us over, "Gather your things, we'd best get going or you'll miss your bus."

I jumped into the air happily and snatched up my bag from one of the chairs pulled out from the table and heaved it onto my back, it would only be temporary until I got my award pack at the ceremony, and then danced towards the door enthusiastically, pausing only to give Jessica a good bye hug and the promise to call as soon as I could, before I was out the door.

Larana shuffled along at a slower pace, also giving Jessica, whose tears that had threatened to fall earlier now doing so, a hug and promising the same thing I had, she also paused at the door too, only to turn back to the table as she retrieved a red and white sphere from her pocket at pointed it at Kida. The kitten Pokemon had fallen asleep on the table, and was returned to her pokeball without question, before Larana sought to join Jacob and me outside by the mini van.

It was no more than twenty minutes later that Larana, now more awake but no less grumpy, and I, more calmer than I had been earlier, stood at the bus terminal, our bags loaded onto the bus, a bright blue beast with white writing on the side reading Suicune Travel Services and a silhouette of the mentioned Pokemon in white, and we ourselves bidding Jacob farewell.

"Now be sure to call when you have the chance, otherwise Jessica will go insane with worry," Jacob relayed to us the same things he had probably told Tommy when he had left on his journey, "And do be sure to make sure the money I've given you last, get money cards as quick as possible, so that your money won't get stolen from you."

Money cards were special cards all trainers were obliged by law to get, and thankfully only cost a minimal fee at banks when applied for. The cards themselves were much like Trainer ID cards, but showed you how much money you had in your account, and whenever a battle, all battles were held with stakes, was finished, the loser would have a quarter of their total amount on their cards transferred to the victors account automatically. Larana and I planned to apply for our own when we reached Judan Village.

"We will Jacob, don't you worry about that," Larana assured as she was enveloped by Jacob with a hug.

"Yeah," I agreed as I also was given a hug by Jacob, "We'll remember to call when we can."

"Alright then," Jacob smiled at us proudly, almost looking as if he were to cry of happiness, "I'm sure you both will make fine trainers, you'll both do fantastic."

We smiled back at him, practically wallowing in the praise, before we started to head towards the bus as the boarding call was made.

"Try not to get hurt," Jacob called after us and I smiled.

"That last ones from Jessica isn't it," I commented with a laugh as we reached the nearby bus, turning to wave at Jacob before we got on.

"You got it," Jacob called back grinning and waved back at us as we boarded the bus.

"Bye Jacob," we chorused to Jacob together before disappearing into the bus' confines, I followed soon after.

We took our seats, me snagging the window seat halfway down the bus and leaving Larana to take the aisle seat next to me. I looked out the window at Jacob as the bus' doors closed and began to leave the brightly lit terminal, and waved a last farewell to him, my heart beginning to ache as I remembered that it would probably be a long while before we saw home again as he waved back.

Larana waved too, and a quick meeting of eyes showed that she pretty much felt the same thing. The bus pulled out of the terminal and onto the main road, and within ten minutes we had left the city, our home for ages behind, and the first length of our journey had begun.

TBC

Wow, his chapter sure took a long time to finish, I had major writers block, but yay, it is finally done, and more than twice as long as the last version of this chapter, and as usual my disclaimer or whatever.

The new Pokemon mentioned in this chapter are © by me. Do not use them without permission.

Pokemon is © by Nintendo.


End file.
